The site of the destroyed community of Homesh came alive Monday night with dancing, singing, visits to various corners of Homesh, campfires to stay warm by - and pioneering plans for the future.

Monday's trek to Homesh begins on asphalt...

... and continues through the mountains.

Divine TimingBy today (Tuesday), several hundred of the original 3,500 Land of Israel-lovers still remained - and took part in the 8th-day brit milah (ritual circumcision) of the baby of Limor Har-Melekh, now remarried after her husband Shuli was murdered by Palestinian terrorists before her eyes in 2003. She and Shuli were among the founders of the Torani core group that moved to Homesh six years ago.

The army took a more aggressive stance today, not allowing supplies to be brought up and threatening to remove the remaining pioneers by tomorrow. However, the army did allow the brit milah to be held - though it held up some or all of the busloads of visitors who wished to take part in the joyous occasion.

IDF lines the road.

Alone in the area since the Disengagement, Arabs have turned parts of the Land of Israel - in this case, the scenic road to Homesh - into a garbage dump.

Yaakov Feldman, of the Shomron community of Peduel, who lived in Homesh for two months before he was evicted during the expulsion, said, "We're very lucky to have a day to conquer the hills of the Land of Israel." Click here to listen to his conversation with Yishai Fleisher as they walked to Homesh together.

Land of Israel-loving girls on top of the mountain.

"Mom, I'm home."

Dr. Sodi Namir, beloved doctor of Gush Katif who was expelled from N'vei Dekalim, was also there. "We are waiting to see the materialization of the Divine promise to return us to Zion," he told Fleisher. "We pray that G-d give our political leaders the strength to withstand external pressures, and allow all Jews to live all over the Land of Israel - and the Jews of the Diaspora should join and reinforce us as well." Click here to listen.

After destroying the Jewish town in 2005, the IDF returned to defend the Jews of Homesh.

Baruch Marzel of Hevron said, "We see here the pure madness of giving up this strategic territory, with barely any Arabs around... The army knew it didn't have a chance against us..."Click here to listen.

Homesh's commanding view of Samaria

Homesh's water tower, the last vestige of a thriving community

On the route to Homesh is the city Sebastia, site of the first attempt to settle Samaria the 1970's